Mariamma Iris

Hey! I'm sitting at the dining room table in my friend Nicole's apartment in Santa Barbara. We were roommates freshman year in the dorms at UC Davis (along with two other girls) and we thought it was about time to catch up! I drove up yesterday - a lovely sunset drive along the coast - and will be here 'til Friday. I've never really visited SB. I got into the UC here and we drove through campus when I was 17 during our road trip to Mexico, but that's all I've seen. She's in grad school here and has some classes and meeting throughout the day so I'll probably do a bit of solo exploring.

Last weekend was the national Women's March and I've been dying to share these photos. It was amazing to see so many people of every different gender, color, and creed come together to voice their support of one another. My faith has been restored in human goodness. After marching we listened to a few speeches and and performances ... I cried during Andra Day's performance of Rise that seemed so perfect for the occasion. After that we headed to an Ethiopian spot downtown and then took the metro back to Long Beach. It was a wonderful Saturday.

Mariamma

There are quite a few things that make Chico summer so wonderful, and Thursday Night Market is surely one. Every Thursday evening a few streets downtown are blocked off to make way for the throngs of people who come to shop at the booths and stands along the sides. There is anything from produce to clothes, to homemade soaps and food trucks. The city plaza is at the end of the street and there you can find a fountain that keeps kids cool and entertained while different community performances take place on an adjacent stage. This week there were hula dancers! I went with my mom this past week and we strolled around, watched the dancers and my friend Jesse who was singing and playing guitar in-between a couple booths. It was a lovely little evening that ended in getting a little saucy with my mom at a jazz bar afterwards. My mom is the cutest.

Mariamma